Erate is a federal program. www.sl.universalservice.org Its not a matter of whether or not the schools or state will allow you to provide the service. It's a competitive bidding process. How you pick your way through the bidding process is an entirely different beast. Start learning now if you want to bid on contracts in the late fall. All the information you need is on the SLD website. It will take a few weeks to completely understand it all. Really. To cook it all down, the whole program is 1/3 federal $$, 1/3 rigged bidding processes and 1/3 fear. You need to position yourself correctly in the bidding process to overcome the fixed bids. You need to educate the school district tech coordinators. 99% of them are overworked and so fearful of making a misstep and loosing their funding that they just cant stomach change. If you start early and help educate them on new services, higher speeds and serious savings you stand a much better chance of helping them overcome their fear, winning a few bids and getting your hands on some of those federal $$.
Chris Intelliwave -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of KyWiFi LLC Sent: Thursday, March 30, 2006 2:32 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; WISPA General List Subject: Re: [WISPA] USF fund reform Where does a WISP look to find out if their state/city will allow them to provide broadband service to schools under the erate program? I tried searching google but didn't see any details listed for our state. -Shannon ----- Original Message ----- From: "Blair Davis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "WISPA General List" <wireless@wispa.org> Sent: Wednesday, March 29, 2006 6:03 PM Subject: Re: [WISPA] USF fund reform Same here in Michigan. We provide internet and data services under the erate to several schools. John Scrivner wrote: > >> Years ago I looked into what it would take to sell access to the >> school. erate is set up so that one company provides all telecom >> needs to the school. Voice, data etc. The only companies that can >> do that are the ilec or a clec. > > > > This is not true in Illinois. We have what is called a "SPIN" number > which allows us to sell Internet to schools even if they get other > services from other providers. I am not an ILEC or a CLEC. > Scriv > -- Blair Davis AOL IM Screen Name -- Theory240 West Michigan Wireless ISP 269-686-8648 A division of: Camp Communication Services, INC -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.385 / Virus Database: 268.3.3/296 - Release Date: 3/29/2006 -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/